Separations screens are typically used in the mining and mineral processing industries to separate materials, such as coal, by size. One type of separation screen is a vibrating screen that typically has a frame with screen panels. The frame is typically rigid with various support members to ensure structural integrity. The frame is mounted on springs, or the like, and has vibrators which cause the frame, and therefore the screen panels, to vibrate. The screen panels have apertures which allow smaller sized material to pass through. In use, the frame vibrates and material is passed over the screen panels with smaller material being separated from larger material as the smaller material passes through the apertures in the screen panels. Alternatively, liquids can be separated from solids in a similar manner.
Such separation screens require maintenance. This can be periodic maintenance to ensure smooth operation of the machine, such as replacement of worn screen panels, or unexpected maintenance due to component failure of the like. In some situations, particularly where the separation screen is part of a larger process, continuous operation is required and it is highly undesirable for a separation screen to go offline. A second separation screen may therefore be provided which is interchanged with the first separation screen to allow a separation screen to have downtime, e.g. for maintenance, without having to halt overall separation operations.
The separation screens are heavy and bulky, and swapping one separation screen for a second can be difficult. The separation screens may be mounted on wheels on a rail system. When an operating machine is to be substituted by a standby machine, the separation screens are wheeled along the rail until the standby machine takes the place of the previously operating machine. While this allows relatively straight forward interchanging of machines, the wheels and rails can be damaged by the continuous vibrations due to elevated forces being applied over a small area which can hinder, or even prevent, movement of the separation screen when it is to be interchanged.
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